My wife and I are spending 3 nights in Bellagio in early September, and then plan to drive to Lucca and spend a few nights on the coast (Viareggio). My instinct is to drive to Como, and then south towards Genoa, follow the coast. We are looking primarily for the most scenic route, but if there is somewhere else to check out along the way, we are game! Any advice you could offer is appreciated!

If this link does not work, go to viaMichelin and specify the "discovery"option for your route.

https://www.viamichelin.com/web/Rout...ewEngine=false

Thanks Michael, this information is very helpful. In terms of possible driving routes, you have definitely identified the fastest one, but I am also wondering if it is the most scenic. Has anyone else done the drive down from Como to Portofino, and even more particularly along the coast from Portafino to Viareggio?

We have driven from Milan to Santa Margarita Ligure and Monterosso al Mare in the CT. I recall lots of tunnels on the autostrada along the coast.

The route I copied is considered "discovery" viaMichelin and does not correspond to their standard recommended route. Otherwise it would have taken you on the autostrada from Como all the way to the coast. The confusion may lie in the fact that the scenic road and the fast route are parallel and often intersect each other.

Nice job and great resource Michael - - looks like an excellent balance of time vs. scenery.

Thanks for clarifying, Michael. This is very helpful!

The 'discovery' road on Michaels map is nice, but make adjustments to avoid the center of Milan and Genoa. Driving in Genoa was a hassle, but we had to since we were staying there for a few days (highly recommended city to visit, by the way).
There's the motorway A12 along the coast, but you don't see the sea much. We drove from Genua to Santa Maria Ligure along the coastal road and that was very pretty, passing Camogli. There are a few access points between the A12 and the coastal road, so if you have time you can do bits of it and get back on the motorway if it is too slow. Then back along the coast from Massa to Viareggio. Do stop in Forte dei Marmi for a bit, it has nice shops and restaurants, and also a really good market on Wednesdays (clothes, lots of cashmere, leather, not food).